Working Hard
by swastini
Summary: Or hardly working. A series of one-shots entertaining the same scenario - what if all generations of the Assassin Creed boys were crammed together in one office space? Multiple pairings - Shaun/Desmond, Ezio/Leonardo, Altaïr/Malik. Rated T. For now.


_**First of all, and most importantly - this isn't really my story. Not really, that is. The idea of the Assassin's Creed boys working together in an office is one of an excellent writer over at y-gallery called Bloodbabe2003, who you should totally check out if you like a little (or a lot of) AC smut. However, she did say something about Desmond being 'a nephew's nephew' of ****Altaïr which really got me thinking - how would that work? And from that one line, this story (and countless plot bunnies) EXPLODED. Sorry, Bloodbabe2003. I couldn't help myself. **_**

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**History in the Making**

The history of the infamous Hashishin Inc. was a long one – fraught with familial drama and too many twist and/or turns to really count – but it was interesting nonetheless, and if nothing else, Shaun Hastings liked things _interesting_.

It had all begun rather nondescriptly in Damascus, Syria. A young minister took an even younger wife, and at the ages of 35 and 22 respectively had borne a child – a baby girl, whom they named Mariyah. Being part of a more well-to-do branch of the Hashemite family, and a distant relative of Faisal bin al-Hussein, the minister lived a life of luxury and comfort with his wife and daughter, eventually deciding to relocate to the United States. Mariyah was ten at the time, and while not happy to leave behind the various friends and familiarities she had accumulated in Damascus over the years, she quickly became engrossed the pop culture that surrounded the States. At fourteen, she had her name legally changed to Maria. At seventeen, she had become romantically and sexually intimate with a young Italian-American tycoon named Giovanni Auditore, who – as with her parents before her – was 13 years older than her.

At eighteen she was pregnant.

However, her parents, while certainly shocked that their only daughter had conceived out of wedlock, were hardly disapproving. Giovanni was a member of the upper echelons of society, one of the richest men in the country – with added bonuses of being very responsible and well-mannered – but best of all: he was completely, absolutely, an_ utterly _in _love _with Maria. Just minutes after the discovery, he promised to marry her, and did so swiftly and extravagantly, even before she began to show. The happy couple then moved to Firenze, Florence together.

Just around this time, Maria's mother – by now 41 years old, though hardly infertile – had become pregnant with her second and final child: a boy, as the joyful parents soon discovered. With a son to carry on the bloodline, issues surrounding the inheritance of the family's surmountable fortune dissipated – Maria and her husband were left with a few keepsakes (though she hardly minded, believing her husband's wealth enough to sustain her many lives over, and rightly so); the unborn infant inherited everything, from the businesses to the money to the real estate.

Nine months later, the Ibn-La'Ahad family had an heir: a baby boy, named Altaïr.

Sadly, this unseemly happiness was brief. Barely a year later, as they drove home to their young son, Altaïr and Maria's parents slipped across the snow-slick roads of New York, spiraling into a crash that killed them both instantly.

Altaïr was now an orphan. Distraught with the loss of her parents and the misfortune of her little brother, Maria made a life-changing decision – she would adopt her own brother, and raise him herself. With almost two decades between them and her husband's infinite support, this proved to be rather simple transition – soon, it was as if Altaïr had always lived with them. He became close to Federico, Maria's oldest son and his nephew (who, ironically enough, was actually older than him by a year), and – when the child was born five years later – Ezio, the second son of the Auditore family.

Unlike Federico – who performed the duties of the steadfast 'older brother' diligently – and Altaïr – who only became more introverted and somber as time passed, with none of the coarseness of a child – Ezio was the spark of the Auditore boys; a brilliant, burning star that outshone all other children with his candid wit and irrepressible charm. Said charm grew as he did, as did his popularity and notoriety amongst the denizens of the neighborhood, _especially_ amongst the girls. At 17, Ezio was handsome, cunning, charismatic and completely _unstoppable._

On the other hand, Altaïr – while no less unstoppable, if not even more – had matured more quietly. However, beneath a smooth, almost arrogant façade hid a fiercely temperamental personality, one that loved almost as strongly as it loathed. And no one knew this better than a certain Malik A-Sayf.

Determined to retain his heritage both in America and Syria, Altaïr made it certain that the family spend its summers in New York, and often spoke of returning to their parents' homeland to his sister. Either way, both choices tied his life irrevocably to that of Malik. Raised by an abusive father in Jordan, Malik had sought to make his fortune in America, and at the age of 18, left Amman for New York, hoping for a new, better life for himself and his younger brother, Kadar, whom he took along.

This took both of them right in the path of an oblivious Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

When the brothers first met Altaïr, he was 15, spending the most recent of many summers at his parents' Manhattan apartment. Craving Middle Eastern food, he had taken a taxi to Mamoun's Falafel, where a certain young Jordanian worked, deliriously homesick and struggling to keep afloat having had hardly any money to begin with, and a brother to provide for.

The exact details of the faithful encounter were a mystery to Shaun, and most of the world in general, but the key facts were clear – there had been an argument, a rather ecstatic food fight, and by the end of it all, Altaïr and Malik had fallen deeply in love.

Of course, neither of them knew this, or even imagined it to be possible. Altaïr already had a girlfriend back in Florence, the beautiful daughter of a diplomat named Adha. Malik had an adolescent brother, which (in his mind at least) thoroughly eliminated any chance of a budding love life. More importantly, they were both straight, or at least thought themselves to be. In any case, what could (and maybe even should) have been love was rerouted in a more hesitant direction. The young men became friends, and remained so for the next few years – with Malik and Kadar even visiting Florence occasionally, on the rare instance that Malik's insistence that Altaïr not fund their ventures waned. And while this friendship endured, a distance between Altaïr and Malik remained, neither willing to take the next step in fear that they would overstep the careful boundaries they had established as friends.

Everything would soon change, though. It had been the eve of Altaïr's 19th birthday, and he had suddenly become determined to celebrate the upcoming occasion with his closest friend. Flying over to New York, Altaïr had spent a quiet, intimate week with Malik – with brief interruptions by his sister, nephews and Kadar – before finally asking the question he had wanted to ask ever since the two had first meet.

The confrontation that had followed was one that had been well-documented and equally well-exploited by the press, but it broke Shaun's heart to read about anyway, which in itself was a rather impressive feat. On the surface, it seemed that all Altaïr had done was ask Malik to take a tour around the Middle East with him, then accompany him in his return to Syria. But everyone knew it was more than that. Altaïr had found the courage he had taken four years to gather. He was asking Malik to share a life him. He was taking the next step.

Malik declined.

Perhaps it was his fear of returning so close to Jordan, to the mockery of a home where he had been tormented in childhood that stopped him from saying, 'yes'. Maybe it was his fear of leaving his brother, who was only 20 years old by that time, alone. Maybe it was simply fear – of commitment, of love, of being tied down to a man for the rest of his life. Whatever the reason was, Malik said no. And Altaïr's reaction was _brutal_.

It had been the compatibility of their personalities had made the two such a good match. Malik was quick-tempered and easily moved to emotion, while Altaïr was stoic and seemingly without feeling. However, it was only Altaïr that could calm the raging sea of uncertainty that enveloped Malik, and only Malik who could elicit any kind of emotional response in Altaïr. Malik's rejection had unsettled some deep, unbidden rage within Altaïr. Lashing out, he attacked Malik, forcing him into a position that neither was ready for – and in response, Malik struck back.

This did nothing more than worsen the situation and, realizing that a fist-fight would only degenerate into something far _worse_, Malik fled Altaïr's pent house, racing back home to a bewildered Kadar. Despite this, Altaïr was not one to give up easily. He chased Malik, and came to stand outside the tiny apartment the two brothers shared, demanding that Malik see him and change his mind. A few minutes later, Malik emerged, shouting almost as loudly as Altaïr, as the entire block watched in grim fascination. Kadar followed shortly, reaching out to tug at his brother's arm, pleading that the pair stop fighting. Then, Altaïr pushed Malik onto the road, in his anger. It was to be an action that he would regret for the rest of his life.

No one knew where the truck had come from. Witnesses later confirmed it had no license plates, was white, and driving leagues above the speed limit. However, this had hardly matter to them. All that mattered was that as Malik A-Sayf tumbled down onto the street, his brother Kadar reaching down to help him, a plate-less, white, speeding truck had driven in and mowed both the brothers down.

Kadar had suffered direct impact and had died instantly, lying twisted like a rag doll upon the tar road. Malik was more (or as some would say, less) lucky – he had only sustained one major injury, that of his arm. It had been crushed completely, and hung from the shoulder down as a useless mess of meat and bone. Those who could bear to look at him said that his eyes were glassy, almost as if he was unaware of what had happened, but tears flowed down his cheeks nonetheless, as he stroked the cooling forehead of his beloved younger brother. Altaïr was seen calling 911, eyes set in a determined, grim glare.

The days that had followed were almost unbearable. Malik was hospitalized, and his left arm amputated after the doctors deemed the limb too far gone to save. Also lost was his relationship with Altaïr. While the younger man did what he could to fix the damage he felt he had caused – paying for Malik's hospital bills and Kadar's funeral – it was too late. Malik refused to see him while in hospital, later emerging a broken, bitter man, and immediately severed all ties with Altaïr. It was as if he had disappeared, if not from New York, then from the world altogether; despite his best efforts, Altaïr could not find him.

The experience had changed Altaïr as well – austerity had turned to coldness – and he shut himself off from his family. Plunging deeply into denial, he attempted to console himself, trying to justify and rationalize his actions; unconsciously succumbing to grief all the while.

At this time, a key figure emerged in the tangled web that Altaïr that created around himself: a man called Rashid ad-Din Sinan, more commonly known by his nickname, Al Mualim. Following the deaths of Altaïr's parents, it had been Al Mualim who had taken over the family's main business ventures, at least until Altaïr was of age to collect his inheritance. At 20, Altaïr returned to Syria to do just that, only to be stopped by Al Mualim, who deemed Altaïr's irresponsibility in his affairs with the A-Sayf's, leading to one man to be killed and another crippled, as proof enough that Altair would be unable to follow in the footsteps of his father. Having always respected Al Mualim, and understanding his lack of choice in the matter, Altaïr grudgingly accepted this decision.

However, Altaïr was not about to leave Syria empty-handed. So, with much persuasion, Al Mualim conceded to allow Altaïr the management of one company – a small, undeveloped corporation called Hashishin Inc. Hashishin had always been a side interest of Altaïr's father – as a headhunting company, it was a good way to gather new talent for his more industrious businesses – but Al Mualim insisted that in order to gain total access to his inheritance, Altaïr would have to find a way to make Hashishin Inc. a fully operational, _successful_ company. Altaïr accepted, and so began what would become a 10 year journey to correct the mistake he had made.

It was probably important to note that, around this time, Federico Auditore had married a young Israeli woman, and soon had a son, by the name of Desmond. Unfortunately, the couple then separated, leaving Desmond to take his mother's maiden name for a while, before changing his surname once and for all to that of his stepfather's: Miles.

As Altaïr struggled to improve his company, another member of his family was struggling. His young cousin, Ezio, had fallen into troubled times. While his years as a teenager had no doubt been carefree, he was now fresh out of college, without a job, and mixing with the wrong sorts of people. Somehow, he had become involved in the mafia; having made enemies of both the notorious Pazzi and Borgia families, with only thieves and prostitutes for friends. At the same time, he had entered a frantic, frenzied relationship with a woman named Rosa, though he strayed often, which led to more arguments and fights than he could care to count. When a combination of one these fights and an encounter with Rodrigo Borgia, the brutish head of the Borgia family, led to his youngest brother, Petruchio, almost being killed, Maria and Giovanni decided that drastic measures were needed. Hoping that his uncle would be able to quell his more rebellious tendencies, they sent him of to Monteriggioni for 6 months, to spend time with Mario, Giovanni's older brother. When this only served to make Ezio even more restless, they sent him to a different uncle, in a completely different continent, this time for 6 _years_.

Altaïr had accepted his nephew far more graciously than anyone could have expected, though – as with most things concerning the man – he had ample reason behind his action. In fact, Ezio's presence was much more necessary than Altaïr was willing to let on. Ample amounts of charm and interpersonal skills made Ezio a natural at marketing and public relations, a fact that his uncle was well aware of, and exploited at no end. Also, he hoped that Ezio's presence would help usher in the newly arrived head of advertising and branding development, a gentle, creative soul named Leonardo Fruosino, who, coincidentally enough, was Italian as well.

Rumor had it that the young Tuscan native was in fact related to the legendary Leonardo da Vinci – a rumor believed, if by no one else, than his parents, who named him accordingly – and he gave those who doubted it no reason to believe otherwise, for the man was a brilliant inventor. architect, and painter. At the tender age of sixteen, he had already become a commissioned artist, through the miracles of the interest and extensive word of mouth, and in his twenties provided celebrated designs to building companies all over the world. Why he had come work at such a small, obscure corporation such as Hashashin no one knew, but most agreed that it was a combination of a desire to live in the Middle East, incredible foresight in anticipating the future success of the company, and a small crush on Altaïr that sealed the deal. In any case, Leonardo was quickly inducted into a top management role, at which he turned his attentions from Altaïr to Ezio, whom he quickly became acquainted to.

It was a case of opposites attract all over again.

A joke spread around the workers of Hashishin: the fact that it had taken a man, albeit a rather sensitive, feminine one, to ensnare feisty lady-killer Ezio, wherein so many women had failed. And though there was no doubt that the two shared a deep, profound affection for one another, it became the company mystery as to whether they were screwing. However, when hinted at, or even asked outright, all inquirers received were coy smiles and blushes on Leonardo's part, and a roguish grin and wink from Ezio – which, while not actually answering the question, really should have been all the response needed.

As Leonardo and Ezio's relationship deepened, Altaïr seemed to be far less fortunate in the romance department. Having ended his long lasting affair with Adha after moving to Damascus, he became affiliated with Maria de Sable, niece of infamous high-tech industry mogul Robert de Sable. Thus began a passionate, disastrous 3-month affair that left both parties disillusioned and Maria pregnant with twins. With a spiteful ex breathing down his back and two children to care for, Altaïr wedded his work, throwing his entire being into Hashishin. And while diligence led to the company's continued success – first locally, then nationally, then across the entire world – it also alienated Altaïr from the world even more, and his family became even more estranged from him, to the chagrin of his sister and nephews. However, no one suspected that it would in fact be his work that would reunite him with his one true love.

As the company grew in size, clientele increased, and finances became increasingly difficult to manage. To solve the problem, a young accountant in Jerusalem was recommended to Altaïr – on the account that the man had apparently been so meticulous with his previous company's banking account income had actually been _increased_, simply through careful management and investment of funds. What they had neglected to tell Altaïr, however, was that what made the man truly amazing was the fact that he had accomplished all this with only one arm.

So, the following week, as Altaïr walked into the boardroom to conduct the interview he had arranged with said man, what he received were not pleasantries, or introductions, but a stapler to the head.

Altaïr awoke 30 minutes later, nursing a sore head and far too many questions to count, and learned that Malik had already left – apparently having '_marciato fuori_'while '_giurando come un marinaio'_, at least according to Ezio. From the resume left on his desk, he also learnt that Malik had put himself through university during the years of his absence, graduating the top of his class in Accounting and Management. Further investigation revealed that he had also moved back to Jordan following his father's death, before selling off the meager property the old man had owned, allowing him the financial capability to move to Israel. Now he lived alone, in a little apartment in Jerusalem. All of a sudden, Altaïr had found the only person he had ever truly loved again.

This realization, coupled with the extraordinary benefits Malik would be sure to reap for the company, left Altaïr with a single purpose – to hire and ultimately reconcile with the man whose life he had ruined all those years ago. Boldly, he approached Malik – first at work, then in public, then at home. It was a strange courtship, for sure, and many a time did Altaïr appear outside Ezio and Leonardo's shared home, his face littered with cuts and bruises, but oddly enough – grinning like a madman. However, it was undeniable that the relationship was slowly mending. Altaïr's dogged persistence began to pierce through the walls that Malik had set up around himself, and reluctantly, Malik agreed to take up Hashishin's job offer. Time and time again, Altaïr set out to prove that he had matured from the self-centered teenager that he had been when the men had last met, and as time passed, Malik started to believe him.

The breaking point had been what was meant to be a quiet dinner between the two to discuss the expenditures of company. However, with alcohol to loosen the tongue and give both parties the courage to discuss the issues between them, the night ended with Altaïr and Malik in bed together – as they consummated their relationship for the first time, with Altaïr allegedly having tearfully apologized to Malik mid-coitus, though he claimed otherwise; threatening anyone – employee, relative, or otherwise – to the pain of death if they spoke of it.

Ezio's response was perhaps the best of all.

'No one gives a shit if you cried like a _neonata_ while you were fucking, all that matters is that you two are together again!' He was right, but suffice to say he received a rather violent beating from both his uncle and Malik.

By now, almost 9 years had passed since Altaïr taken the reigns of Hashishin Inc. To the surprise of many, the company had flourished – now one of the biggest corporations in the Middle East – and with the sins of Altaïr's youth seemingly atoned for, the 29-year-old Ibn-La'Ahad heir returned to reclaim what was his.

But it was not to be so easy. For Altaïr had been deceived – in the near decade it had taken for the young man to reclaim his inheritance, Al Mualim, whom Altaïr had trusted with his life, had been covertly claiming the businesses for his own, and by the time Altaïr managed to reach the older man, he had lost nearly everything – all except the company that he had raised from it's infancy: Hashishin Incorporated. A lesser man might have given up and been content with what he had – but Altaïr was not a lesser man, and with a stubborn streak a mile wide and a sense of honor that could seem suicidal at times, he became determined to regain his birthright.

Altaïr and his company raced against Al Mualim and other cutthroat competitors (including, much to his despair, Abstergo, the company owned by Altaïr's own ex-girlfriend's uncle, Robert de Sable) a frenzied battle to expand Hashishin Inc. without getting bought over, before finally succeeding after a one-year struggle. Altaïr managed to regain everything he had lost and got rid of his most persistent rivals, and the final touch? Hashishin Inc. had risen through the adversity surrounding it and emerged even stronger, richer and successful than ever. Branches of the company opened everywhere, from Italy to America, including their largest North American office in New York.

It was at this time Shaun came to learn of Hashishin. He had been visiting the Big Apple with a couple of college buddies and his boyfriend at the time, and was instantly enamored by the compelling story behind the company. However, it was at this time another tragedy struck the Maria Ibn-La'Ahad Auditore, this time even closer to home than ever. In a brutal gang slaying by her son's old enemies, the Borgia's, Federico, Petruchio and Giovanni were all shot to death in an alleyway. The killers were never found.

The murders swept the media into a frenzy, and left Maria in shock – shock that she would never truly recover from, even to her death. The only daughter of the family, Claudia, returned to Florence from Paris – where she had been working as a fashion designer and dating a French patisserie – as did the last remaining son, Ezio. Ezio had intentionally meant to leave for Florence permanently after the storm had passed over Hashishin; things had been tense between Leonardo and him lately, as the two argued over Ezio's continued flirting and Leonardo's lack of initiative in the relationship, and the younger man was eager to return to the carefree life of a bachelor. The pain of losing half his family, however, did two things. Firstly, it made living in Firenze impossible – the hurt was simply too near and too great. Secondly, in the weeks he spent helping his mother recuperate with Leonardo's loving care, it made him realize just how much he cherished his life with Leonardo. The two remained together at Hashishin, and – along with Altaïr and Malik – soon moved their base of operations to New York.

For Shaun, this was the moment he had been waiting for. Having graduated top of his class, he became determined to move to New York – and that he did, with gusto and far too little forethought. Setting his sights on one company alone, he became determined to claw his way to the top of the business world, and find the happiness he had long been searching for in life. And now, even to his own disbelief, he was standing outside the gates of the Hashishin Inc. building, having been granted a job interview for a top management role, working under the Malik A-Sayf himself.

Shaun Hastings' dream would soon be in sight.


End file.
